


For All Thanks Given

by orphan_account



Series: From Fate to Legacy [1]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Canonical Character Death, M/M, Oneshot, also a study on what kagami's mangekyo would have been, basically i wrote how tobirama died
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-30
Updated: 2017-11-30
Packaged: 2019-02-08 22:15:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,688
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12874161
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Kagami refuses to leave Tobirama alone as the decoy against the Kinkaku Unit.





	For All Thanks Given

**Author's Note:**

> This was written in a rush so I'm sorry for any spelling or grammar mistakes.

“Get out of my way, Saru!” Kagami pleaded, tugging against Danzō’s grip on his shoulders. He was winded from the struggle that occurred moments before, exhaustion flooding his muscles as the day’s endeavor set in.

 

Hiruzen, dirt and trickling scratches flecked across his face, heaved an exhausted sigh. “No, Kagami. As the hokage now, I have the authority to forbid you from attempting to retrieve the Nidaime. You know as well as I do, that if he was unable to survive, you’ll hardly have a chance.”

 

“You’re not my hokage until the other jōnin accept you as the winning candidate. Tobirama set it up democratically - you’re just who he chose as a successor,” Kagami seethed, wrath setting into his bones. He’d seen firsthand the damage an Uchiha’s love can cause, but it was at this moment he shirked the idea. He wasn’t his clansmen; he was acting rationally. Tobirama saw he was different from the other Uchiha, that’s why he was allowed to stay on this recon team.

 

Koharu stepped into Kagami’s line of sight. “He may not be the elected hokage now, but he’s still the designated squad leader at the moment. You will follow his orders, Uchiha.”

 

“But—” Kagami let his head drop, grass before his eyes hazing as his he deactivated his Sharingan. He couldn’t leave Tobirama to die. He couldn’t leave Tobirama’s lifeless body to be ransacked in search for information. He couldn’t leave—

 

Danzō’s hold tightened for a fraction for a second before he leaned forward, voice lowering to a level in which no one but Kagami could overhear. “The more you protest, the more they’ll realize your relations with sensei if you argue further. Everyone else has accepted his decision but you.”

 

Kagami froze, breath hitching. Danzō had known his intentions ever since he drunkenly confessed his affections for their sensei one night. Danzō may have been right, but what if he could do something to save Tobirama? Kagami wasn’t like Hiruzen, an unreplaceable protégé. He was an Uchiha who lacked the famed Mangekyō, was expendable to be replaced by future Uchiha children who saw light in the Will of Fire, just as he had. He alone could go after Tobirama, without a cost.

 

“Give it a rest, Kagami. We need to hurry back to the village before the Kinkaku Unit catches us. You wouldn’t want to ruin Nidaime’s dying wish, would you?” Koharu’s curt voice robbed Kagami of his thoughts, Danzō stepping back to release his tight hold on the Uchiha’s shoulders.

 

Numb sufferance shifted through him as Kagami watched his hands shake. He couldn’t accept Tobirama’s death as easily as the others, but his battered and weary limbs told him otherwise. Exhausted as he was, he couldn’t hope to be able to drag Tobirama back to Konoha, much less himself, enemy shinobi or not.

 

Glancing at his teammates, Kagami could tell they were worse for wear than he was—Torifu was partially carrying Homura upon his back, ragged breaths being drawn from both mens’ chests. Judging by Danzō’s previous iron grip, the Shimura must’ve been in the best condition compared to the others. He would be the only one with enough strength to give chase.

 

. . .And the only one who wouldn’t follow in order to ensure that the rest of the team arrived in Konoha safely.

 

Kagami steeled himself—making his way back to the Kinkaku unit would put immense stress on his weak muscles. 

 

“If ruining sensei’s wish labels me a Konoha traitor, then so be it,” Kagami stated, tone flat, before shoving chakra to the soles of his feet and darting for the treeline.

 

“Fucking _ hell!  _ Uchiha get back here!”

 

The crack of of branches below the force of haphazard chakra being thrown from Kagami’s feet drowned the exasperated shouts of his teammates. He wouldn’t listen if given that chance, even if they were audible. His decision had been made, and he would see Tobirama, regardless if it killed him or not.

 

The wind slicing against Kagami’s open wounds upon his face were hardly bothersome in comparison to the pure adrenaline rushing through his veins. He would find Tobirama, pull him out, and hopefully eliminate the Kinkaku Unit while he was at it. Well, what would be left of the Kinkaku Unit after Tobirama had his fun with them. 

 

_ Hopefully _ .

 

A shout of rage spurred Kagami to slam his feet into the ground, sliding along the grass and leaves below him.

 

His Sharingan was activated in reflex as he glanced around the deserted area, searching for movement that would alert him to the Kumo shinobi.

 

He heard, rather than saw, an enemy nin first, something Kagami was not used to. He was quick to dive to the side as soon as another infuriated yell rang through the trees, rushing his way to the area he heard the shout resound from.

 

The blazing blue of Tobirama’s chakra was revealed the closer he traveled, along with a swathing silver of another shinobi.

 

“Stop hiding my sight in a genjustu and fight me!”

 

Kagami dropped into an open clearing the moment the enemy shouted, drawing his eyes to the seen. The Kinkaku unit shinobi was spinning in circles, sword raised in defence, and it was clear to Kagami what was occurring—Tobirama had cast Kokuangyu No Jutsu. No one Kagami knew of, aside from himself and other Uchiha, has ever been capable of breaking the genjutsu of absolute darkness.

 

However, Kagami knew Tobirama only used it in times he needed to recuperate, or was buying time. A glance at his Nidaime told him the answer to the question on the tip of his tongue.

 

Tobirama was staked to the ground, armor shattered, Kumo sword stuck through his shoulder, and into the ground. Kagami couldn’t tell if the sheer amount of blood came entirely from Tobirama, or the enemy nin.

 

It felt as if all air had been pushed from his lungs.

 

The Uchiha had lunged forward before he was conscious of the decision—his eyes flickered from tree to tree around the surrounding area, seeing the chakra of the Kinkaku Unit team scattered about. Were they trying to fight Tobirama one on one, once they crippled him enough to be less of a threat?

 

_ The cowards. _

 

Kagami could feel his Sharingan spin as he refocused back on Tobirama, who had now taken in his student’s presence. “ _ Kagami _ ? What are you doing here?”

 

“Saving you from a suicidal mission. Don’t worry, sensei, I can get you out of here in one piece,” Kagami started, sliding to his knees in one motion, yanking out the sword impaled into Tobirama’s arm in another, despite Tobirama’s grunt of protest. “You can’t just—”

 

“Kagami, your _ eyes. _ ”

 

The other was quick to react, bringing a hand up to touch just below his eye. “What about them? They’re my same-old Sharingan,” he began, hysteria building in his voice. Up close, he could see just how severe the damage was to Tobirama. Sword cuts lashed up and down his sides, and Kagami could see just how many times the Senju had already been speared.

 

A voice in the back of Kagami’s mind told him Tobirama wouldn’t make it out alive.

 

Tobirama leaned his head back against the grass, letting out shuddered breath, before speaking again. “I think you just received the Mangekyō Sharingan.”

 

Kagami opened his mouth to respond, skeptical at what his sensei was saying, before being cut off by an unfamiliar voice.

“How touching, a student came back for you, Lord Hokage.”

 

Whipping his head around, Kagami took in the sight of the enemy nin, dressed in the Kumo garb he would have suspected. “ _ You _ ,” Kagami seethed, blinking rapidly as acute pain struck one of his eyes.

 

The Kumo shinobi jerked back in surprise and drew his sword, “How the hell are you standing?”

 

The Konoha duo froze, glancing at each other in confusion.

 

“I said, how are you—” The Kinkaku nin swung his sword, freezing mid-air as if in a sword fight.

 

Kagami glanced at Tobirama, who returned his gaze with a critical expression. “You put him under a genjutsu.”

 

“But I can’t—” Kagami began, before more infuriated shouts of the Kinkaku Unit rung throughout the clearing. “I. . . put them all in a genjutsu? Without them looking into my eyes?”

 

Tobirama sighed, closing his eyes in thought. “Mangekyō Sharingan abilities differ from Uchiha to Uchiha. I don’t know how exactly yours work, but it seems whatever you just did is one of your abilities.”

 

A grin was quick to split Kagami’s face. “Then, then we can get you out of here! I can keep them distracted while you escape, and—” he slid his arms under Tobirama’s shoulders in an attempt to pull him upright.

 

“Kagami, I won’t be able to stand for more than a few moments if I get up, much less return to Konoha without bleeding out. I doubt your genjutsu can last for too long, either. You need to leave me here.”

 

The younger man’s sight blurred as tears welled in his eyes, “That’s not true! I can get you out of here, I promise.”

 

Deep down, he knew it was a lie.

 

“Kagami, I need you to let me go.”

 

The Uchiha stared at Tobirama, uncaring as tears left wet streaks down his face as his eyes trickled blood. “No, no I can’t do that. You’re going to be fine, I swear it. I can see—”

 

Tobirama, sitting at his hokage desk as usual, grumbling over the stacks of paperwork that grew in size as he was recovering. Saru and Danzō stood just outside a window to the hokage tower, bickering over one thing or another. And there he was, Kagami, rushing around the room in an attempt to help organize at least one or two of the document stacks. He glanced at Tobirama, a smile smile gracing his lips as light filtered into the room, highlighting Tobirama’s snowy hair.

 

“Look, I can see us. You’re fine, you’ll  _ be _ fine. I can show you that it will happen; it’s what my Mangekyō does. It’ll show you that you’ll be fine in the future, I’m sure it will—”

 

Kagami tensed as a hand was lightly set on his cheek, almost as a caress. “They aren’t real, Kagami. That isn’t this future. You need to let me go so I can set off a paper bomb. I don’t want you caught in the blast.”

 

Letting a sob wrack through him at the actuality of the situation, Kagami knew Tobirama’s words were true. He watched as the hokage tower warped as Hashirama, alive and  _ living _ , walked through the door. This wasn’t their reality.

 

He closed his eyes, willing the fake future to disappear from him and Tobirama. The shouts of the struggling Kinkaku Unit was muted, but gradually fading as their fight exhausted them. The soft drops of his tears upon Tobirama’s shattered armor was palpable, just as the warmth of his sensei’s hand upon his cheek was slowly fading.

 

“ _ Why? _ Why must you destroy yourself too?” Kagami blubbered, bringing one of his own hands to hold onto Tobirama’s set upon his face.

 

“You know as well as I do, that it’s best they don’t obtain my body, and I know you can’t drag my dead body with you to Konoha. Please, Kagami, leave before I don’t have enough strength to destroy myself and what I can of this unit,” Tobirama implored.

 

Kagami cracked his eyes open, vision blurry, as he heard a shuffling noise, before the press of two metal items was shoved against his chest.

 

“Take the Raijin no Ken. Keep it as a village heirloom,” Tobirama stated, before removing his hand from Kagami’s grip to drop the second item in the other’s open palm. “And this. It’s something to hopefully inspire your lineage, somewhere down the line. Who knows, maybe I can be a dreamer like my brother, in these moments.”

 

“I don’t—” Kagami focused his eyes, only to see Tobirama’s scratched and bloodied faceplate being pressed into his hands.

 

Tobirama slowly pushed himself out of hold, struggling to set himself on his feet. “I appreciate keeping the Kinkaku Unit preoccupied currently, but I need to keep up the genjutsu for a few more minutes. However, I need you to get a safe distance away, and  _ hurry _ .”

 

The Uchiha sat back on his knees, staring up at the cerulean and crimson marked figure before him. “I won’t leave you. Even if that reality was fake, maybe, just  _ maybe _ I can—”

 

“ _ Kagami _ .” Tobirama stated, voice firm. “I said leave.”

 

Scrambling from the ground, Kagami knew that tone. “I—” He started, tobirama staring impassively as he clutched his visibly bleeding side.  “I wish things could’ve been different.”

 

The Senju cracked a smile, “Everyone has their wishes. That doesn’t mean they’ll become true.”

 

Before Kagami could blink, a hand was on his shoulder as he was teleported to an unknown area, the kumo shinobi shouts ringing through the trees. Tobirama stood before him, still giving him that gentle smile, before he patted Kagami on the cheek. “Keep Hiruzen on his feet as hokage,” he stated. “Thank you for everything.” Tobirama swiftly released all contact, disappearing from sight.

 

Kagami stumbled forward into the area Tobirama had stood only moments prior, blinking as his sight was drawn to a discarded kunai laying next his feet. He let out a shuddering breath, ready to charge back into the woods, before the area was encompassed in bright white and orange. He shouted, quick to cover his face. A rush of heat hit his body only seconds later, along with the sound of an explosion.

 

His eyes ached. His skin burned. His heart broke.

 

All else was numb.

 

The stream of heat was gone as soon as it appeared, along with its blinding light. However, in replacement, the smell of burning wood and searing flesh hit his nose. Kagami should have been accustomed to the scent of scorched skin as a fire release user himself, but this was so much worse.

 

His throat stung next.

 

The crunch of leaves behind Kagami rang alarm bells in the sensible part of his mind, enough to cause him to turn and identify the black mass, looming menacingly.

 

“Danzō?” Kagami asked, blearily staring at the figure behind him. If this was a Kumo shinobi ready to kill him, then so be it.

 

Then, his hands trembled.

 

“C’mon, let’s get you out of here before Hiruzen finds enough strength to send Enma after us,” the voice, who sounded like the Shimura in question, stated, taking a firm grip on his shoulder, partially dragging the Uchiha away from the scorched trees and charred corpses. Away from Tobirama, who surely must be greeting his brother, Hashirama, at this moment.

 

Kagami clutched the two metal items in his hands tighter, letting a weary smile grace his lips as Danzō hauled him away from the scene. He’d do what he must for the village. Protect it, even if he is to lose his sight from his Mangekyō. Safeguard the Konoha children, until his generation has been surpassed. It’s what Tobirama would have wanted.

 

“Danzō, I have the Mangekyō Sharingan,” Kagami stated after a lapse of silence, uncaring if the liquid running down his face was either tears or blood. Much less, could he find the strength to lift his arms and wipe his face. “It seems I’ll always confess to you, whether I’m drunk on alcohol, or rather, despair.”

 

His teammate paused, stopping the two of them momentarily, before heaving a sigh. “I don’t  know what happened after you ran from the squad, and I don’t want to know either. You Uchiha are so fiercely protective of your love—I don’t know why I ever assumed you might have been different.”

 

Cracking a large smile, Kagami stared at the smashed grass beneath his feet. The sound of a stream running in the distance was almost inaudible to his ears. “You’re a fool for thinking I might ever be different from my kinsmen.”

 

“And you’re a fool for falling in love with someone you never could’ve had.”

 

Danzō was right.

**Author's Note:**

> If you want a full explanation about Kagami's Mangekyo, I essentially figured that he would have something to do with mirrors, since that's what his name means. Essentially, he can see mirrored realities, effectively letting him see the future if he sees the right reality. It's unreliable, however, because it is alternate realites he sees, and if it's one too different, he could relay the wrong information about the future. His other eye lets him reflect an alternate reality as a genjutsu. So, when he cast it on the Kinkaku Unit, they saw a reality in which Tobirama wasn't injured. It's a bit like Shisui's mangekyo because it doesn't require eye contact, however, like his other ability, it can be unreliable because the alternate reality he reflects can be completely useless. I hope that made some sense.


End file.
